Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Caladiumxc3x97hortulanum cultivar Florida Blizzard.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Caladium plant, botanically known as Caladiumxc3x97hortulanum, commercially referred to as a fancy-leaf Caladium, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Florida Blizzard.
The new cultivar is a product of a planned and controlled breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Bradenton, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create densely-foliated compact Caladium cultivars with uniquely variegated foliage.
The new cultivar originated from a cross-pollination in 1992 of the Caladiumxc3x97hortulanum cultivar Aaron, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent, with the Caladiumxc3x97hortulanum cultivar White Christmas, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Florida Blizzard was discovered and selected in 1993 as a plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Bradenton, Fla.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar by tuber divisions in Bradenton, Fla., has shown that the unique features of this new Caladium plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual propagation.
The new Caladium has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Florida Blizzardxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Florida Blizzardxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Compact and densely-foliated plant habit suitable for container production.
2. Upright, outwardly spreading and symmetrical plant form.
3. White and dark green bi-colored leaves.
Plants of the new Caladium can be compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Aaron. When grown in side-side comparisons in Bradenton, Fla., plants of the new Caladium differed from plants of the cultivar Aaron, in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Caladium had more leaves per plant than plants of the cultivar Aaron.
2. Plants of the new Caladium had white and dark green bi-colored leaves whereas plants of the cultivar Aaron had mostly white-colored leaves.
Plants of the new Caladium can be compared to plants of the male parent, the cultivar White Christmas. When grown in side-side comparisons in Bradenton, Fla., plants of the new Caladium differed from plants of the cultivar White Christmas, in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Caladium were slightly taller than plants of the cultivar White Christmas.
2. Plants of the new Caladium had shorter leaves, but more leaves per plant than plants of the cultivar White Christmas.
3. Leaves of plants of the new Caladium had white-colored veins whereas leaves of plants of the cultivar White Christmas had green-colored veins.
Plants of the new Caladium can also be compared to plants of the cultivar Candidum, not patented. When grown in side-side comparisons in Bradenton, Fla., plants of the new Caladium differed from plants of the cultivar Candidum, in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Caladium were slightly taller than plants of the cultivar Candidum.
2. Leaves of plants of the new Caladium had white-colored veins whereas leaves of plants of the cultivar Candidum had green-colored veins.